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	Saudi Envoy Makes Lasting Impressions Despite Short Tenure Despite his short tenure and abrupt departure, it’s clear that Prince Turki al-Faisal, the outgoing Saudi ambassador, has made quite an impression among his colleagues and earned the admiration of the public for his frank and open nature...Read More
	Greek Ambassador Discusses Kosovo Options Alexandros Mallias—the Greek ambassador to the United States who also previously served as chairman of the Coordinating Committee for the Greek EU presidency’s program on the Balkans— used his expertise of the region to brief members of Capitol Hill on developments in Southeast Europe and the final status talks on Kosovo...Read More
	Senator Sees ‘Crack’ in Syria’s Door Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) spoke at the Council on Foreign Relations on Jan. 30 about his visit to Syria in December, using the occasion to assail not only President Bush’s refusal to engage Damascus, but also his proposed troop buildup for Iraq...Read More
	U.S.-Russian Relations Reach 200 Years U.S. Undersecretary for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns joined Russian Ambassador Yuri Ushakov and Librarian of Congress James Billington at the Russian Embassy on Jan. 30 to pay tribute to 200 years of diplomatic ties between Russia and the United States...Read More
	Mongolia Marks Its U.S. Anniversary U.S. Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Christopher Hill, left, joined Mongolian Ambassador Ravdan Bold to celebrate 20 years of diplomatic relations between Mongolia and the United States...Read More
	IRS Reaches Out to Embassy Employees The IRS is offering current and former U.S.-based employees of foreign embassies, consular offices and international organizations a one-time settlement initiative to get their back taxes in order without incurring the usual penalties—but the offer expires on Feb. 20...Read More

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	Home for Good Leaving cold, blustery Washington in late January for hot, sunny Rio de Janeiro sounds like an easy decision, unless you are Brazilian Ambassador Roberto Abdenur retiring from diplomacy after a distinguished career...Read More
	Becoming Your Own Sommelier Not every ambassador’s spouse is prepared to be his or her own sommelier. But that’s exactly what Italy’s Lila Castellaneta plans to do along with her embassy chef Roberto Grazioli—thanks to the help from Italy’s renowned nonprofit sommelier association, Associazione Italiana Sommelier...Read More
	Enduring Finnish Folk Music Finland, where winters are cold and dark, has long embraced the sauna, vodka and ballroom dancing as essential ways to keep warm and happy. But I never knew that Finns are wild about folk music—especially a nine-member group called Värttinä, which has entertained their countrymen and women with inventive and passionate performances for almost 25 years...Read More
	Peru’s Pisco Makes Headlines Washingtonian Melanie da Trindade-Asher, a native of Peru, was featured in U.S. News & World Report in a one-page story called “There’s Nothing Sour About Her Success,” about the thriving pisco drink business she created while a student at Harvard Business School...Read More
	Post Classical Conductor Awarded High Honor Post-Classical Ensemble Music Director Angel Gil-Ordóñez has been awarded the Royal Order of Queen Isabella by King Juan Carlos I of Spain for his work in promoting Spanish music in the United States...Read More
	Washington Ballet Goes Latin The Washington Ballet turns up the heat this winter with “Noche Latina,” a travelogue celebrating the pulsating culture of Latin America at the Kennedy Center’s Eisenhower Theater from Jan. 31 Feb. 4...Read More